


For Science!

by hariboo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 14:18:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/623101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hariboo/pseuds/hariboo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's so light music — ACDC from the bass line — playing through the house and even though this has been Week 4 of their study group she's still not sure how she got stuck with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner of all people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Science!

**Author's Note:**

> Advent gift fic.

The room reeks of pot when Jane gets to the house, but it always does. Tony's a recreational smoker, and he spends a lot of time being well… recreational. How Tony hasn't been kicked out yet she doesn't know, but has a suspicion it's a mix of his last name, that library wing, and the fact he's a genius. She doesn't wave her hand in the air to wave the smell away, but it's a close thing. For one, the smell is light enough, a soft almost pleasant sweet smell, that it means it's been a while since he smoked up and is mostly sober by now or he cracked a window. She's hoping for the former, is prepared for the latter. The first is looking more and more likely each second considering she's not waving off a small thick cloud of smoke.

There's also light music — ACDC from the bass line — playing through the house and even though this has been Week 4 of their study group she's still not sure how she got stuck with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner of all people.

Sure, they've been in the same class all semester but did Professor Selvig hate her that much that he stuck her with the most obnoxious person on the planet. At least Bruce was better. Quieter, if anything; shier, more careful, and his math was never wrong.

Neither was Tony's come to think of it— even when he was stoned or hung over, not that she was annoyed by that that. Nope, not at all.

Her math is never wrong either.

Making her way towards where they normally study in Tony's townhouse off campus, Jane stops by the kitchen, eyes the plates in the sink (inwardly cringes at the fact that her sink looks just as stuffed with dirty dishes and promises herself that tonight when she gets home she's cleaning every single one of them; there are levels of lazy and Jane is not about to let herself reach Tony Levels) and goes straight to the fridge. There's some way too old Chinese she chucks out and stuffs in the sandwiches, energy drinks, and proteins shakes she bought. Normally, Bruce is the one to pick up their Study Group Food but he called Jane earlier, voice strained, explaining to her that his car broke down — Jane knows the feeling; it sucks — and if she could handle the food this week. He even gave her a list with their preferred tastes and which sandwich shop he goes too; apparently she and Tony go through the strawberry shakes like they're water; Bruce and her are the healthier eaters, Tony just needs meat and a digesting amount off onions on his subs. They all like the peanut butter protein shakes the best.

That thought in her head, Jane finishes loading up the fridge, grabs some of Tony's fancy Vitamin water, a few Red Bulls, and grabs two handfuls of Power Bars she stuffs in her bag and heads to what Tony deems his "Science Cave". It used to be called his "Man Cave" until she came along and gave him a good ten minute speech about how insulting the name was especially considering _she_ had almost everything thing he has in said cave—sure it was the cheaper and sometimes McGuyver's versions of his toys, but her soldering iron was just as handy too!

Juggling her bags and wishing she had had time to go home and dunk her head under her bathroom sink, Jane wonders if Bruce managed to get her already, pushing the door open with her hip.

Tony's happy voice greets her. Bruce smiles from the couch, standing to help her with her bags. Bruce is the sweetest. Jane would have partnered up with him easily, even without the look Selvig gave her. Their ideas calming power of tea and microscope settings differ, but she could listen to him talk about cellular mitosis forever and Jane's a hardcore astrophysicist. They have some theories on gamma radiation that make her all tingly. Behind them Tony is clearly feeling left out and getting louder.

He's going on about how he thinks he had a breakthrough last night on their project which Jane is half listening too — "our problem is that the power source keeps over loading because the casing gets too hot—which I told you guys it would—and yes, yes, I know it was my idea to use the copper plating but I'm telling—what I'm saying I think we can work around that and hey! It will make it all Go Green like you two hippies have been bugging me about but it wouldn't have worked before and Jane! You brought the power bars down, you're a doll, I forgot and I think I ate apple ones and my stomach hated me. But going back to the project I have an idea for a clean energy source that won't over heat and mess your reading, tell me you love me." — as let's Bruce take the power bars, Vitamin Water, and Red Bulls (which Tony so doesn't need; how does someone get _more_ hyper when stoned? Tony just might be special… never mind, she catches the three Venti coffees at the edge of his desk.) from her and sets her bag and books down.

"Thanks, Bruce," she tilts her head to Tony, who's sitting on his desk, legs swinging. "He been like that long?"

Bruce smiles, "Ever since he picked me up from autoshop."

Bruce called her at work three hours ago when his car broke down— "Ouch."

"I think he downed the coffees after I called him to perk himself up."

Ah, yes, the faint smell of pot upstairs.

"Hey, you guys talking about me?" Tony hops down from the desk and grins over that them. How he manages to be smarmy and attractive Jane will never understand, but she finds herself smiling back

"Of course, who else?" She grabs a power bar and thrusts it at him. Tony chuckles and takes it, ripping it open and taking a huge bite. "Don't you dare crash on us now that you've apparently figured out how to make our project work."

Bruce nods, "Yes, especially since you haven't told me yet either."

Jane blinks. "Really?" Tony is not known for keeping his mouth shut. Actually, it might just be entirely possibly that Professor Selvig hates _Tony_ and is punishing him with Bruce and Jane. Yes, that would make more sense. Jana's a bigger fan of that theory.

"Really, I thought he was still stoned," Bruce says, lips twitching. Jane snorts. Tony frowns at them mid chew. "Ah ate yu bof," he says, mouth full.

Jane pats his arm and moves towards his screens — it's so unfair Tony Stark has _screens_ and she only has one lonely almost outdated laptop — and points to the one with the design specs of their project on it. "This one?"

Tony nods, grabbing another bar. Bruce pulls out his glasses and makes his way towards Jane. In less than a minute they're all hunched over the screen. Jane shakes her head. She can hear Bruce breath out next to her. Tony's chewing very loudly, an air of waiting around him; for a second Jane thinks of a little boy waiting for approval. It's an uncomfortable thought. Tony's so brash and loud that this second she feels his insecurity wrap around him so thickly even she's noticing it's… it's uncomfortable and maybe too familiar.

She clears her throat.

"Tony, this is…" the words stick in her throat as she turns her head to look at him. His chewing has slowed down. There's a look in his eyes that she used to see in the mirror all the time when she was younger. Thank god for Bruce.

"Great."

The look leaves Tony's eyes; the more familiar confidence shines obnoxiously.

Jane nods, "It really is. I can actually see this project working now." She bumps his hip with hers. He bumps back. For a second she debates, biting her lip, and then reaches out and touches the screen with the stylus she at one point grabbed from the desk and points to a second of the specs and math. "That's going to need to change though, it will overheat the—"

"—Yes, the coiling is going to need to be different too—" Bruce adds in.

"Fibreglass?" Jane says. "Also the coefficient here," she touches the stylus to the screen and changes a few things. Yes, that's better, the output of energy should be steadier.

Tony plucks the stylus from her hands. "Here's where I'm thinking the ring will have to go, so it's a circle and expanding flow and the circuit won't close. The encasing material will have to be…"

"Some sort of glass."

"And in theory it should power…"

"Everything."

Jane grins because she's pretty sure they just got their A, and may have gotten one step closer to change the world. Professor Selvig really didn't think the pairing of this group through at all. Needless to say Jane doesn't make it home that night to do her dishes, but she helped fix Tony's math for the recycling vector and she's pretty sure her math became transcendent around four in the morning, so she's okay that science won today.  



End file.
